Pollution-free coke quenching system

ABSTRACT

A movable coke quenching system employing a coke receiving vehicle movable on rails between a coke receiving station and a coke dumping station. The vehicle includes a coke receiving cavity with an overlying hood. A combination draft inducing and gas scrubbing device in the form of a two-phase jet system is in fluid communication with the hood to withdraw and scrub gaseous and particulate emissions from the coke as it is received in the cavity and quenched therein.

Unite States Patent 11 1 [11.] 3,869,352 Allen et al. 1 Mar. 4, 1975 POLLUTION-FREE COKE QUENCHING 3,613,333 '7 10/1971 Gardenier 55/89 SYSTEM 3,675,400 7/1972 Kufsch 55/385 [75] Inventors: John E. Allen, Lake Forest, 111.;

John F. Hanley, Jr., Roswell, Ga.; Frank K. Armdur, Flossmoor; Frederick G. Krikau, Dolton; Richard S. Patton, Flossmoor, all of I11.

[73] Assignee: lnterlake, Inc.

[22] Filed: Jan. 17, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 218,189

[52] US. Cl 202/227, 55/94, 55/223, 55/257, 55/385, 55/468, 202/263, 261/76, 261/D1G. 54 [51] Int. Cl Cl0b 39/04 [58 Field of Search 202/227-230, 202/262, 263; 55/89, 94, 223, 228, 257, 385, 468, 94; 105/254; 301/39; 261/76, DIG. 54

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 809.645 l/l906 Treat 202/227 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 748,087 3/1944 Germany 202/227 Primary Examiner-Wilbur L. Bascomb, Jr. Assistant Examiner-David Edwards Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman & McCord [57] ABSTRACT A movable coke quenching system employing a coke receiving vehicle movable on rails between a coke receiving station and a coke dumping station. The vehi- 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures ll POLLUTION-FREE COKE QUENCHING SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to coke quenching systems and more particularly to a coke quenching system that minimizes emission of gaseous and particulate material during a quenching operation from the point at which coke is delivered from a coke oven to a quench car until the quenched coke is released from the quench car.

Ever-increasing concern over environmental pollution has focused on a number of industrial operations that emit substantial amounts of gaseous and particulate materials including entrained solid matter. Various devices have been employed to capture such emissions such as electrostatic precipitators, scrubbers, etc. How ever, such devices have generally been applicable for use only in stationary structures. Thus, there is a need for such systems that may be employed in transitory operations requiring emission control.

One particular movable industrial operation producing substantial gaseous and particulate emissions is the quenching of coke prior to its subsequent use in, for example, iron production. Typically, the quenching operation is accomplished by pushing an oven load of coked coal into a special railroad type car at a loading point adjacent the coke oven. As the coke emerges from the oven, the gaseous and particulate emission is negligible until the same begins to break up as it leaves the coke guide to drop into the quench car. This operation normally results in the generation ofa substantial quantity of gas of the type that pollutes the air.

Thereafter, the filled quench car is then moved to a quenching station wherein the contents of the car are sprayed with water or the like to quench the same. Spraying ofwater on the hot coke results in the generation of a so-called quench cloud comprised of water vapor, gaseous emission from the coke, and various particulate material, and is similarly regarded as an air polluting emission.

Thus, it is necessary to provide means for confining the emissions from the time the coke breaks up until the quenching operation is completed. Such confinement can be had by way of a hood, but because of the substantial volume of the hot gases, it is further necessary to withdraw the gases from the hood and scrub them elsewhere. Because the operation is most efficiently accomplished during movement of the car, it is necessary that the scrubbing and exhausting means be mounted for movement with the quench car itself.

However, because of the large volume of gases, ordinary exhaust means such as fans are impractical because of the enormous size required, which size does not lend itself readily to being located on a movable base such as a railroad vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INENTION It is the principal object of the invention to provide a new and improved coke quenching system that will substantially reduce or eliminate air polluting emissions generated during the pushing of coke into a quench car, during the travel of the quench car from a coke receiving station to a coke dumping station and during the quenching of coke in the car.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide such a system wherein all instrumentalities necessary are movably mounted with the quench car itself.

The exemplary embodiment achieves the foregoing objects through a construction wherein the quench car is provided with a hood partially overlying a generally upwardly open coke receiving cavity. Connected to the hood is a combined draft inducing and scrubbing device so that emissions generated within the coke receiving cavity of the car may be drawn off from the hood to be scrubbed. In order to avoid the use of draft inducing devices not suited for mounting on a vehicle, a twophase jet system is employed as a draft inducing and scrubbing means.

The quench car is provided with spray barrier jets which generate a barrier across that portion ofthe coke receiving opening thereof not covered by the hood so as to permit the entry of coke into the cavity but to substantially preclude gaseous emissions from passing out through the opening. In addition, the car is provided with fog spray generating means to generate a cooling fog so as to protect hood components from the heat of the coke received in the cavity.

Finally, the car is provided with quench spray nozzles so that the coke in the car may be quenched during movement of the vehicle thus, (1) avoiding the need for peripheral quenching equipment, and (2) permitting the quenching operation to take place while the coke car is in transit between a coke receiving station and a coke dumping station so as to minimize the time required for a quenching operation. The movable system further includes a demisting means for receiving the scrubbed gases from the two-phase jet system. The de-misting means-is operative to recirculate water to the quench nozzles or to a water storage device which. in turn, may supply water to a heater for use in supplying hot water to the two-phase jet system or to the fog and barrier spray nozzles.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a movable coke quenching system made according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken approximately along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating the interrelation of various components employed in the system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An exemplary embodiment of a coke quenching system made according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 and is seen to comprise a quench car, generally designated 20, secured to an equipment trailer, generally designated 22, by means ofa railroad coupler (not shown) and movable on rails 25. The quench car 20 and the equipment trailer 22 are movable as a unit between a coke receiving station, generally designated 26 and a coke dumping station, generally designated 27. whereat the coke is received in the quench car 20 and thereafter dumped for further use, respectively. In further explanation of FIG. 1, the coke dumping station 27 will not ordinarily be in the location shown but will be in a non-opposite relation from the coke receiving station 26 as being spaced along the railroad right-of-way defined by the rails 25 a distance dependent upon a particular installation. To provide for such movement, a donkey engine, generally designated 28, may be coupled to the quench car to move both the quench car 20 and the equipment trailer 22 between the aforementioned locations.

The equipment trailer 22 mounts an operators cab 29 which may house controls for the entire system, in cluding remote controls for the donkey engine 28, if desired. In addition, the equipment trailer 22 mounts a combined draft inducing and scrubbing system, generally designated 20, a water storage tank 32, a conventional de-mister separator 34, a hot water accumulator 36, a hot water heater 38 (FIG. 3), a diesel generator 40 and a multiplicity of pumps 42.

The combined draft inducing and scrubbing means is operative to draw gases emitted by coke in the quench car 20 and scrub the same by means of a flexible conduit 44 connected to a hood, generally designated 46, on the quench car 20.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the quench car 20 is seen to be mounted on railroad trucks 48 resting upon the rails 25. The car 20 includes a slanted bottom wall 50 terminating in a gate 52 pivotally mounted as at 54, which gate extends along the entire length of the car 20 and which may be moved by any suitable means between the closed position shown in FIG. 2 and an open position whereat coke 56 within the car and resting on the bottom wall 50 may be released therefrom.

The car 20 further includes end walls 58 which, in combination with the bottom wall 50 and a side wall 60 located above the gate 52 define a coke receiving cavity. The car further includes a coke receiving opening, generally designated 62 defined by the upper end ofthe bottom wall 50, the left-most portions of the end walls 58 and the left and lowermost corner of the hood 46. The same is arranged so as to receive coke from a hooded coke guide 64 at the coke receiving station 26 and which is associated with a coke oven in a conventional fashion.

The hood 46 is in fact an elongated duct formed of one or more sheets 66 of metal configured in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2 and including an elongated opening 68 on the underside thereof and facing the coke receiving cavity of the car 20. The sheets 66 are held in the configuration shown by any suitable connection to a quadrilateral pipe truss 70.

The opening 68 in the hood 46 has a plurality of louvers 72 (only one of which is shown) mounted therein on a shaft 74 for pivoting movement between the position illustrated in FIG. 2 wherein the opening 68 is generally closed to a position about 90 from that illustrated wherein the opening 68 is virtually entirely open. Referring to FIG. 1, the shaft 74 may include lever arm 76 connected to hydraulic cylinders 78 for controlling the position of the louvers 72 connected thereto. Depending upon the number of louvers employed, the shafts 74 associated with each individual louver may be configured in a telescoping relation andjournaled upon one another as well as by suitable bearings so that the various louvers may be independently operated by respective ones of the cylinders 78.

The pipe truss 70 mounts a plurality of spray nozzles on its underside which spray nozzles are generally directed at the coke receiving cavity. A first set of spray nozzles 80 along the leftmost lower edge of the hood are arranged to provide a flat spray, generally indicated by the dotted line 82 to provide a fluid barrier across the coke receiving opening which will allow coke to be received within the cavity from the coke guide 64 but which will substantially preclude the escape of gases and particulate material to the same. Other nozzles secured to the underside of the hood, such as nozzles 84, are adapted to generate a fog spray above the coke receiving cavity for the purpose of minimizing the temperature at the lower side of the hood so that the latter will not be damaged by the high temperature of the coke received within the cavity. Finally, still other spray nozzles 86 are operative to spread large volumes of water about the entire cavity for the purpose of quenching the coke 56 received therein. Water may be delivered to the nozzles 80, 84 and 86 through conduits comprising portions of the pipe truss or, if desired, by conduits separate therefrom.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, the various operating components of the system will be described. More particularly, the draft inducing and scrubbing system 30 is seen to comprise a plurality of elongated tubes 90 terminating in frusto-conical tubular sections 92 to establish fluid communication with the conventional demister separator previously identified as 34. The opposite ends of the tubes 90 also terminate in outwardly flared frusto-conical section 94 in which are located two-phase nozzles 96 of conventional construction. The nozzles 96 are adapted to receive hot water at a temperature above the boiling point thereof and per haps as high as 300400 F. through conduits 98 and upon emergence of the water through such nozzles, there will be partial vaporization of the same which will induce a draft for purposes of evacuating the hood 46 in much the same way as a conventional steam ejector. In addition, the unvaporized portion of the hot water will be in very fine droplets and will scrub gaseous emissions withdrawn from the hood 46. Further details of the two-phase jet system may be ascertained by reference to US. Pat. No. 3,613,333.

To establish communication from the hood 46 to the draft inducing and scrubbing system 30, in addition to the flexible duct work 44, there is provided a header 100 connected to the duct 44 and to the large ends of the frustoconical sections 94. As a result of the foregoing, the emissions from the coke receiving cavity will be captivated by the hood 46 and withdrawn therefrom to be scrubbed within the tubes 90 and then fed to the demister separator 34. The same will, in a conventional manner, emit scrubbed gas through an exit opening 102 and will remove water from the gas stream and return the same to a sump well I04 formed as a conventional part of the de-mister separator 34.

The sump well 104 is in fluid communication with the quench nozzles 86 by means of appropriate conduits as well as a pump 106 of any suitable type having a sufficient capacity to deliver the volume of quench water required. If desired, a similar pump 108 may be connected in parallel with the pump 106 to serve as a standby in the event of malfunction.

One or more pumps 110 may be operative to withdraw water from the storage tank 32 and, via suitable conduits, direct the same to the fog and barrier nozzles 80 and 84.

One or more pumps 112 of a high pressure type may be employed to withdraw water from the storage tank 32 to direct water via conduit 114 to the hot water heater 38 or, via conduit 116, to the two-phase nozzles 96. In the preferred embodiment of the system. both streams are recombined at a tee 118 with the stream previously directed to the conduit 114 being heated by the heater 38 and that directed through the conduit 116 being at the temperature ofthe water in the storage tank 32 Control of the relative volumes of each stream may be exercised through appropriate operation of valves 120 and 122 so that the temperature ofthe water fed to nozzles 96 may be appropriately controlled.

In order to maximize efficiency of the operation, the output of the hot water heater 38, prior to connection to the tee 118, is passed to the hot water accumulator 36. During a total quenching cycle, the draft inducing and scrubbing system 30 need be used only but about of the time and through the use of the accumulator 36, a relatively small hot water heater 38 may be used and caused to operate the vast majority or all of the time of each cycle. That is, through the use of accumulator 36, the hot water heater 38 need not be of such size as to heat, to the desired temperature, all of that water passing through conduit 114 necessary to operate the two-phase nozzles 96 at the time the same are actually in use.

The accumulator 36 may be provided with a blow off line 124 directed to the storage tank which may be operable to open to relieve excessive pressure within the accumulator 36 as a safety feature. Additionally, the output of the accumulator 36 may be provided with a feedback path including a pump 126 to the input of the heater 38 for use when there is a temporary delay in the cycle so that the entire system need not be shut down.

The system further includes the various valves illustrated which may be used for a variety of control purposes that will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the various flow paths. In addition, a fuel oil tank 130 may be provided to deliver via a pump 132, suitable fuel oil to the diesel generator 40 and to the hot water heater 38. The diesel generator 40, through appropriate electrical connections, not shown, provides electrical energy to the system for the purpose of operating the various pumps described, as well as control circuits therefor and for any valve that the user of the system may choose to be of the remote control variety. Alternatively, and more preferably, the diesel generator 40 may be omitted in favor of a source of electrical power stationarily mounted with respect to the coke quenching apparatus and delivering electrical power to the same through any ofa number of types of conventional electrical connectors as, for example, trolleys, electrified third rails, etc.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the invention provides a coke quenching system that is ideally suited for the transitory nature of coke quenching and which maximizes the efficiency of such operations. The system does not require unwieldy, draft-inducing fans for evacuation ofthe hood 46 to thereby overcome the problem attendant the mounting of large fans on movable bases. Moreover, the recycling of water employed during the coke quenching operation not only conserves cost, but tends to minimize any pollution problem caused by the dumping of water containing dissolved gases or carrying entrained particulate material emitted during the quenching operation. This feature also improves system efficiency in terms of minimizing water storage requirements or the need for periodically refilling the storage tank 32.

Moreover, the unique features of construction which operate to confine the emissions from coke from the time the coke is pushed into the quench car until the time the quenching operation is completed, produce a substantial benefit over proposals heretofore known. For example, those knowledgeable in coke quenching operations are aware of the fact that oftentimes incompletely cured coke is pushed from a coke oven into the quench car. This is known as a so-called green push." Unlike completely cured coke, which generates substantial emission only during the push and during the quenching, a green push" will emit substantial emissions during the period between the two. A coke quenching system made according to the instant invention controls emissions of green pushes" even during tthe period of time between the push and the quench and thus offers a substantial advantage over prior systems.

Having described a preferred embodiment of the invention, we do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but rather, the invention should be 20 judged according to the scope of the attendant claims.

We claim:

1. In a coke quenching system, the combination comprising:

means defining at least one vehicle having a coke receiving cavity, a coke admitting opening communicating with said cavity and a coke releasing exit communicating with said cavity, and adapted to travel between a coke receiving station and a coke dumping station;

a hood on said vehicle means over said coke receiving cavity-and adjacent one side of said coke receiving opening;

exhaust means on said vehicle means in fluid communication with said hood for withdrawing gases within said coke receiving cavity and including two-phase jet means for inducing a draft and for scrubbing gases withdrawn from said cavity to re move particulate material therefrom;

de-misting means on said vehicle means for receiving material from said twophase jet means;

a plurality of quench spray jets on said vehicle means,

all directed at the interior of said cavity;

and means establishing fluid communication between said de-misting means and said quench spray jets whereby liquid separated from gases thereby may be subsequently used for the quenching of coke in said cavity.

2. In a coke quenching system, the combination comprising:

means defining at least one vehicle having a coke re ceiving cavity, a coke admitting opening communicating with said cavity and a coke releasing exit communicating with said cavity, and adapted to travel between a coke receiving station and a coke dumping station;

a hood on said vehicle means over said coke receiving cavity and adjacent one side of said coke receiving opening;

exhaust means on said vehicle means in fluid comm unication with said hood for withdrawing gases within said coke receiving cavity and including two-phase jet means for inducing a draft and for scrubbing gases withdrawn from said cavity to remove particulate material therefrom;

de-misting means on said vehicle means for receiving material from aid two-phase jet means;

means on said vehicle means for providing hot water to said two-phase jet means and including a heater; 3. The coke quench system of claim 2 further includwater storage means on said vehicle means for proing barrier spray means on said vehicle means for gen- Viding Water to Said heater; erating a fluid barrier across said coke admitting openmeans on said vehicle means establishing fluid coming to preclude gases from exiting Said cavity there munication between said de-misting means and 5 through. said water storage means;

a plurality ofquench sprayjets on said vehicle means, fog spray means on Sald Vehlcle for generatmg a fog a directed at the interior of said Cavity; within said cavity to protect said hood from heat and means establishing fluid communication between from cokefecelwd m 531d Cav'ty;

said de-misting means and said quench spray jets and means mcludmg a P for dfillvermg Water h b li id Separated f gases h b may from said water storage means to said barrier an be subsequently used for the quenching of coke in fog spray means.

said cavity. 

1. IN A COKE QUENCHING SYSTEM, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: MEANS DEFINING AT LEAST ONE VEHICLE HAVING A COKE RECEIVING CAVITY, A COKE ADMITTING OPENING COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CAVITY AND A COKE RELEASING EXIT COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CAVITY, AND ADAPTED TO TRAVEL BETWEEN A COKE RECEIVING STATION AND A COKE DUMPING STATION, A HOOD ON SAID VEHICLE MEANS OVER SAID COKE RECEIVING CAVITY AND ADJACENT ONE SIDE OF SAID COKE RECEIVING OPENING, EXHAUST MEANS ON SAID VEHICLE MEANS IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID HOOD FOR WITHDRAWING GASES WITHIN SAID COKE RECEIVING CAVITY AND INCLUDING TWO-PHASE JET MEANS FOR INDUCING A DRAFT AND FOR SCRUBBING GASES WITHDRAWN FROM SAID CAVITY TO REMOVE PARTICULATE MATERIAL THERE FROM, DE-MISTING MEANS ON SAID VEHICLE MEANS FOR RECEIVING MATERIAL FROM SAID TWO-PHASE JET MEANS, A PLURALITY OF QUENCH SPRAY JETS ON SAID VEHICLE MEANS, ALL DIRECTED AT THE INTERIOR OF SAID CAVITY, AND MEANS ESTABLISHING FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID DE-MISTING MEANS AND SAID QUENCH SPRAY JETS WHEREBY LIQUID SEPARATED FROM GASES THEREBY MAY BE SUBSEQUENTLY USED FOR THE QUENCHING OF COKE IN SAID CAVITY.
 2. In a coke quenching system, the combination comprising: means defining at least one vehicle having a coke receiving cavity, a coke admitting opening communicating with said cavity and a coke releasing exit communicating with said cavity, and adapted to travel between a coke receiving station and a coke dumping station; a hood on said vehicle means over said coke receiving cavity and adjacent one side of said coke receiving opening; exhaust means on said vehicle means in fluid communication with said hood for withdrawing gases within said coke receiving cavity and including two-phase jet means for inducing a draft and for scrubbing gases withdrawn from said cavity to remove particulate material therefrom; de-misting means on said vehicle means for receiving material from aid two-phase jet means; means on said vehicle means for providing hot water to said two-phase jet means and including a heater; water storage means on said vehicle means for providing water to said heater; means on said vehicle means establishing fluid communication between said de-misting means and said water storage means; a plurality of quench spray jets on said vehicle means, all directed at the interior of said cavity; and means establishing fluid communication between said de-misting means and said quench spray jets whereby liquid separated from gases thereby may be subsequently used for the quenching of coke in said cavity.
 3. The coke quench system of claim 2 further including barrier spray means on said vehicle means for generating a fluid barrier across said coke admitting opening to preclude gases from exiting said cavity therethrough; fog spray means on said vehicle for generating a fog within said cavity to protect said hood from heat from coke received in said cavity; and means including a pump for delivering water from said water storage means to said barrier and fog spray means. 